At the start of “Method & Madness: Hamlet 2013,” the cast, features hidden behind eerie white masks, promises a tale of “unnatural acts” and “casual slaughter,” among other things.

It only takes them 90 minutes to make good on that promise, thanks to dramaturge Laurie Dietrich's cutting. Dietrich, who also plays Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, zeroed in on the screwy family dynamics in Shakespeare's tale, coming up with a muscular, vital take that gets to the core of the story.

It follows Hamlet as he works out how to avenge the death of his father, the king (the terrific Robert Rehm, his face lit by a ghostly blue light). He was poisoned by Claudius (Erik Bosse), his brother, who compounds that treachery by wedding the widowed queen just two months later. It also gives some stage time to Polonius (a nice turn by Dino Foxx) and his children, Laertes (Joseph Urick) and Ophelia (Christie Beckham).

Their styles merge well: There is fidelity to story in this “Hamlet,” as well as inventiveness in the telling.

The title role is split in two, a device that makes the role much more dynamic. Billy Muñoz, dark circles under his eyes, plays the active Hamlet; Linda Ford plays his troubled inner-self. The monologues become dialogues, and, in some spots, take on a choral quality. Muñoz and Ford work well together, and it's a pleasure to hear them deliver Shakespeare's words.

One of the most striking moments is the scene in which Hamlet finds Claudius praying. Bosse kneels in the foreground, head bowed, eyes closed; Muñoz creeps behind him, dagger held aloft; and Ford stands behind them on a platform, watching for a moment before warning that, if Claudius were to die at that moment, he might go to heaven. Better to wait, she warns.

Ophelia, too, has a scene in which her inner-life is made manifest. After she starts to crack, she is surrounded by a small chorus, who sometimes repeat her dialogue, sometimes speak it for her, their sharp movements illustrating her words.

The show's steampunk look serves the material well. Kitty Williams' costumes are gorgeous, but the best visual touch may be the smoking pipes at the back of Rehm's wheelchair.

Like Dietrich and Williams, who makes the most of several small roles, most of the cast pulls double duty.

Muñoz created the gorgeous lighting design; Urick also created the athletic fight choreography. And co-director Malone designed the versatile set.